Here’s the Economic Opportunity

Our greenhouse program in Nicaragua is based on the idea that there is a growing interest and demand for organics in the country. Since it is a new “industry” there is little written about it, but our intern Christian Brunner shares some information:

Analysis of Current Market for Organics in Nicaragua:

With a third of the Nicaraguan workforce employed in the agricultural sector, the organics market in Nicaragua has come to be a $42 million dollar annual business. Organic farming has been in Nicaragua for over 30 years and an estimated 8,000 farmers, covering 700,000 hectares, identify as ‘organic producers’. Coffee historically and presently represents the vast majority of organic farming in Nicaragua (currently 80% of all organic farming), although crops such as corn, beans, and leaf vegetables are quickly becoming the focus of more organic producers. The local demand for organic products has also grown in recent years, as 30% of all organic production is now sold and consumed in country. Organic products are now being carried in national supermarkets and the ‘organic living’ movement has begun to take hold with ‘green-living’ resorts and exclusively organic restaurants in larger metropolises like Managua.